Rutgers trustees may consider action to block efforts to expand Trenton’s control over the state university’s governing board when they convene in an emergency meeting in New Brunswick Friday afternoon.

record file photo

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney addressing the Rutgers University board of governors in 2013.

At issue is a bill authored by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney that would increase political appointees to the Rutgers Board of Governors.

The legislation, scheduled for a committee hearing at the statehouse Monday, would increase voting members of the board from 15 to 19, giving the governor two more appointees (from eight to 10) and one each for the President of the Senate and the Assembly Speaker.

The trustees — a separate, 59-member, board mostly made up of alumni — still would have seven appointees on the Board of Governors. The proposed configuration would dilute the influence of the trustees, who are largely consultative but do have final say on the disposition of significant university assets.

“If the law passes, we immediately go to court,” said one trustee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Sweeney, D-Gloucester, last year made a failed legislative bid to get rid of the trustees board, which many view as a last bulwark against political interference. The trustee board was instrumental in flouting a proposal supported by Sweeney in 2012 that would have ceded Rutgers Camden campus to Rowan University in Glassboro.

Sweeney and others have characterized the trustees board as an unwieldy throwback. A university task force last winter recommended reducing the membership of the trustees board but no action has been taken.

In March, trustees shelved a resolution to reduce their overall number and instead decided to discuss decreasing their number on Board of Governors committees, according to an email from Chairwoman Dorothy Cantor forwarded to The Record on Thursday.

In the meantime, Rutgers in July took over most of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The legislation that created the merger increased the Rutgers board from 11 to 15 members.

“We’ve just gone through an expansion July 1 and it took a while for those seats to be filled,” said Gordon MacInnes, a member of the Board of Governors. “Let’s see how that goes.” Of the Sweeney bill he said “Maybe it’s a good idea, but it’s not a good idea now.”

But Sweeney said his bill calls for the additional appointees to have medical backgrounds — a change that reflects the new character of the expanded university.

“The higher education restructuring that I helped implement means that Rutgers now has a medical school. I want to ensure that one of the governing boards of Rutgers properly reflects that change,” Sweeney said in an email response on Thursday. “In addition, two members will also be required to be Rutgers alum. I think this is a fair- and needed approach to ensure that the transformational changes occurring at the University continue to attract the leadership and attention it deserves.”

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney addressing the Rutgers University board of governors in 2013.

By PATRICIA ALEX

staff writer |

The Record

Rutgers trustees may consider action to block efforts to expand Trenton’s control over the state university’s governing board when they convene in an emergency meeting in New Brunswick Friday afternoon.

At issue is a bill authored by state Senate President Stephen Sweeney that would increase political appointees to the Rutgers Board of Governors.

The legislation, scheduled for a committee hearing at the statehouse Monday, would increase voting members of the board from 15 to 19, giving the governor two more appointees (from eight to 10) and one each for the President of the Senate and the Assembly Speaker.

The trustees — a separate, 59-member, board mostly made up of alumni — still would have seven appointees on the Board of Governors. The proposed configuration would dilute the influence of the trustees, who are largely consultative but do have final say on the disposition of significant university assets.

“If the law passes, we immediately go to court,” said one trustee, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Sweeney, D-Gloucester, last year made a failed legislative bid to get rid of the trustees board, which many view as a last bulwark against political interference. The trustee board was instrumental in flouting a proposal supported by Sweeney in 2012 that would have ceded Rutgers Camden campus to Rowan University in Glassboro.

Sweeney and others have characterized the trustees board as an unwieldy throwback. A university task force last winter recommended reducing the membership of the trustees board but no action has been taken.

In March, trustees shelved a resolution to reduce their overall number and instead decided to discuss decreasing their number on Board of Governors committees, according to an email from Chairwoman Dorothy Cantor forwarded to The Record on Thursday.

In the meantime, Rutgers in July took over most of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The legislation that created the merger increased the Rutgers board from 11 to 15 members.

“We’ve just gone through an expansion July 1 and it took a while for those seats to be filled,” said Gordon MacInnes, a member of the Board of Governors. “Let’s see how that goes.” Of the Sweeney bill he said “Maybe it’s a good idea, but it’s not a good idea now.”

But Sweeney said his bill calls for the additional appointees to have medical backgrounds — a change that reflects the new character of the expanded university.

“The higher education restructuring that I helped implement means that Rutgers now has a medical school. I want to ensure that one of the governing boards of Rutgers properly reflects that change,” Sweeney said in an email response on Thursday. “In addition, two members will also be required to be Rutgers alum. I think this is a fair- and needed approach to ensure that the transformational changes occurring at the University continue to attract the leadership and attention it deserves.”